Class of 1988 Session Overview

“MIT’s Seminar XXI was invaluable for me in providing the framework I later used as a flag officer, as well as a political appointee in DOD and in the Coalition in Iraq.”
RADM Dave Oliver, USN (Ret.) Former PD/USD AT&L; President & CEO, EADS Defense NA

Session Date Participating Faculty
Introduction Prof. Gary Sick
- Soviet Union Dr. Hannes Adomeit, Pierre Hassner, Dr. Ed A. Hewett, Prof. Gail Lapidus, Prof. Robert Legvold, Prof. Stephen Meyer, Prof. Adam Ulam
Western Europe Dr. Josef Joffe, Marc Perrin de Brichambaut
Japan Dr. Tatsuo Arima, Prof. Richard Samuels
Iran Prof. Shaul Bakhash, Prof. Bernard Lewis
India Dr. Ashis Nandy, Prof. Myron Weiner
China Dr. Harry Harding, Prof. Lucian Pye
Palestinians and Middle East Conflict Prof. Yehoshafat Harkabi, Prof. Walid Khalidi
Central America Prof. Terry Karl, Prof. Richard Millet
- Trade and Technology Jean-Louis Gergorin, Prof. Michael Piore, Dr. John Steinbruner, Amb. Koji Watanabe, Prof. John Zysman

Class Attendees

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Program Director & Staff

Program Director: Prof. Suzanne Berger
Assistant Program Director: Kimberly Nolan
Administrative Assistant: Eje Wray
Research Assistants: John Fenske, Annalee Saxenian, Ashutosh Varshney
Senior Advisors: Jake Stewart, Mitzi Wertheim

25th Anniversary Video

Hear past and present organizers reflect on over 25 years of the Seminar XXI Program and its impact on the national security policy community.

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2026–2027 SESSION DATES

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